Phil Collins’ favourite songs of all time
The cycle of fashion is a curious thing. Despite its detrimental spin, the music world has fallen in and out of love with Phil Collins so many times that surely, by now, his cultural cache is too robust ever to be forgotten. Though it may have, at one time, been cool to dismiss the Genesis drummer and unlikely 1980s pop behemoth as cheesier than the smell of Alex James eating an entire wheel of brie, it’s now far easier to accept his position as the creator of some timeless music.
Whether it is as part of Genesis or donning his utterly ’80s garb to deliver chintzy danceable hits, one cannot deny that Collins knows what a good song is. As part of a collaboration with iTunes to promote his then-new covers record Going Back, Collins selected a collection of his favourite songs of all time. Though they might not be exactly his favourite numbers of all time – a hefty dose of promotional salt to be added to this list – they showcase everything that makes Collins both effortlessly cool and cringeworthy.
The first choice for Collins is an easy one, coming directly from “one of my favourite bands ever” the drummer goes back to the days when he’d frequent London’s Marquee Club “three or four times a week” and see his favourite Motown act, The Actions, performing live. Though the group would often play the entirety of their album as their live set, it was their single ‘I’ll Keeping Holding On’ that really inspired Collins.
The drummer’s second choice of Led Zeppelin is perhaps of little surprise. The percussionist pays tribute to the band as a whole with his pick, but the focus is clearly on the group’s backline and John Bonham. As Collins shares: “Now, when I was growing up – obviously, growing up as a drummer – there were quite a few drummers that caught my fancy over the years. Ringo to Charlie Watts to Ginger Baker to Keith Moon. But one of the finest, I think, drummers I’ve ever heard, and the first drummer I ever gave a standing ovation to was John Bonham.”
Collins shares the moment seeing Bonham performing for his pre-Led Zeppelin band with Tim Rose before selecting Zeppelin’s mammoth hit, about which he says, “It puts it all into perspective, groove, sound, attitude, it’s probably one of the best drum recordings ever made in pop music.”
The next selection comes “in stark contrast to the heavier stuff,” confirms Collins. And, if you wanted any confirmation of the cyclical nature of Collins’ claim to cool, then this selection likely sums it up as he picks out ‘I’m Not That Girl’ from the Broadway musical Wicked. Collins saw the stag production while writing the music for Disney’s Tarzan and was clearly taken by the tune, calling it “staggering”.
Picking Bonnie Raitt’s song ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, Collins claims he “never heard a voice like it” when he stumbled upon the track while flicking through TV channels, calling it “one of the best love songs I’ve ever heard.” It’s a potent ballad on which Collins has made himself a pretty penny.
While you might expect Collins to continue on the track of smash hit tracks, he then opts for a little-known number from a band called Baby Bird, who, with only one album to their name, are a footnote in music history, but clearly, one the Genesis man cherishes, adding their song ‘Back Together’ to his list of favourites.
Elsewhere on the list is ‘Heatwave’ from Martha and the Vandellas and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Uptight’ which are references to Collins’ covers album Going Back, which paid tribute to his deep admiration for Motown. He also picks tunes from Dusty Springfield, The Temptations, The Miracles and more.
You can find the full list of Phil Collins’ favourite songs below.
Phil Collins’ favourite songs:
- ‘I’ll Keep Holding On’ – The Action
- ‘When The Levee Breaks’ – Led Zeppelin
- ‘I’m Not That Girl’ – Wicked
- ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ – Bonnie Raitt
- ‘Back Together’ – Baby Bird
- ‘Heatwave’ – Martha and the Vandellas
- ‘Uptight’ – Stevie Wonder
- ‘Some of Your Lovin” – Dusty Springfield
- ‘Blame It on the Sun’ – Stevie Wonder
- ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ – The Temptations
- ‘Standing in the Shadows of Love’ – Eli Stubbs
- ‘Going To A Go-go’ – The Miracles
- ‘Do I Love You?’ – The Ronnettes
- ‘Jimmy Mack’ – Martha and the Vandellas
